ELECTRICITY: BASIC PRINCIPLES

Structure of Matter
Matter - Anything that occupies Space and has Space
Element- A substance that cannot be decomposed any further by chemical action
Compound- A combination of two or more elements
Molecule- Smallest particle that a compound can be reduced to before it breaks down in to elements
Atom- Smallest part that an element can be reduced to and still keeping the properties of the elements

Structure of an Atom

Electrons - negatively charged particles that revolve around the nucleus of an atom. Electron is one of the
lightest particles with known mass. The mass of one electron is about 9.11 x 10-31 kg.
Protons - positively charged particles that stay in the nucleus of an atom. Proton is very small, but it is fairly
massive compared to the other particles that make up matter. The mass of one proton is 1.673 x 10-27 kg.
Neutrons - particles having no charge. Neutrons are about the same size as protons but their mass is slightly
greater , 1.675 x 10-27 kg.
Nucleus - the central part of the atom where the protons and neutrons are located.
Atomic Number - represents the number of electrons or protons of an atom.
Atomic Mass - represents the sum of protons and neutrons of an atom.
Valence Electrons - electrons found in the outermost shell or orbit of an atom.

Classification of Materials According to the Number of Valence Electrons

Conductors - materials having less than four (4) valence electrons
Semi- conductors - material having four (4) valence electrons
Insulators - materials having more than four (4) valence electrons

Electric Charge
A body is said to be charge, if it has either an excess or deficit of electrons from its normal values due to
sharing.
Coulomb (C) – unit of electric charge, named after the French physicist, Charles A. Coulomb.
1 electron or proton = 1.6 x 10-19 coulombs

Potential Difference
Potential – the capability of doing work
Any charge has the capability of doing work of moving another charge either by attraction or repulsion.
Example: Assume 1C of charge can moved 3 electrons.
 3 electrons will be attracted by the +1 C plate and 3
electrons will be repelled by the -1 C plate, making a
resultant motion of 6 electrons going towards the +1 C
plate.
The net number of electrons moved in the direction of the positive charge plate depends upon the potential
difference between the two charges.
Volt (V) – unit of potential difference, which is equal to one joule of work done per one coulomb of charge.
Named after the Italian physicist, Alessandro C. Volta who invented the first electric battery.
W = QV where: W = work done (joule)
Q = charge (coulomb)
V = voltage / potential difference (volt)

Electric Current
When two potential difference between two charges forces a third charge to move, the charge in motion is
called the electric current.

Ampere (A) – a unit of charge flow equal to one coulomb of charge past a given point in one second. Named
after the French physicist and mathematician, Andre M. Ampere

Q = It where: Q = charge (coulomb)

I = current (ampere)
t = time (seconds)

RESISTANCE
The fact that carrying a current can become hot, it is evident that the work done by the applied force in
producing the current must be accomplished against some opposition or resistance.
Ohm (Ω) - practical unit of resistance. Named after the German physicist, Georg S. Ohm.

ƿ𝐋 ƿ𝐕 ƿ𝐋𝟐
R= = =
𝐀 𝐀𝟐 𝐕

where: R = Resistance (Ω)

A = Cross sectional area (sq. meter)
Ƿ = Resistivity (Ω-m or Ω-CM per feet)
L = Length (meter)
V = Volume (cu. meter)
Specific Resistance or Resistivity – the amount of change of resistance in a material per unit change in
temperature.
for copper, Ƿ = 1.72 x 10-8 Ω-m / 10.5 Ω-CM per feet
for aluminum Ƿ = 2.83 x 10-8 Ω-m / 17 Ω-CM per feet

Circular mil (CM) - area of circle having a diameter (d) of one mil.
CM = d2
1000 mil = 1 inch
1MCM = 1000CM

Effect of Temperature in Resistance

Experiments have shown that the resistance of all wires generally used in practice in electrical systems,
increases as the temperature increases.
R2 T + t2
= R2/R1= 1 + αt1 Δt αt1= 1 / (T + t1) Δt = t2 - t1
R1 T + t1

R1 = initial resistance (ohm)

R2 = final resistance (ohm)
T = absolute temperature (temp. when resistance of a given materials is zero)
t1 = initial temperature
t2 = final temperature
Δt = change in temperature
α = temperature coefficient of resistance (ohmic change per degree per ohm at some specified temperature)

Material T(deg. C) α at 20 deg. C

Copper 234.5 0.00393
Aluminum 236 0.0039

Sample Problems:
1.) Determine the magnitude of the voltage required to accelerate an electron to kinetic energy of 8x10-15
joules?
2.) A car battery supplies a current of 50 A to the starter motor. How much charge passes through the starter
in 1/2 minute?
3.) How many circular mils does a round copper rod 0.25 inch diameter has?
4.) What is the equivalent size in square millimeter (mm2) of a 250 MCM cable.
5.) Determine the resistance of a bus bar of copper if the length is 10 meters long and the cross section is a
4x4 cm.
6.) A copper rod of 10m long has a diameter of 1000 mils. Find the resistance.
7.) A one-meter rod of 2-cm diameter is drawn until its resistance is 100 times the initial resistance. Its length
afterward is?
8.) A kilometer of wire having a diameter of 11.7 mm and a resistance of 0.031 ohm is drawn down so that its
diameter is 5.0 mm. What does its resistance become?
9.) The resistance of a copper wire at 300C is 50 ohms. If the temperature coefficient of copper at 00C is
0.00427, what is the resistance at 100 oC?